Display-cabinet.



M. LENNARDS. DISPLAY CABINET. APPucATlon mso :uns a, m4.

Paten/wanen. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M. LENNAHDS.

DISPLAY CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1914.

Ku. 11 9 1 7u C. e D d G ATu n G lu P 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

OOO GOO'OGOOOOQ fIlI MARIE LENNARIJS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. DISPLAY-chanter.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dern 7, 1915.

Application ile. une 8, 1914. `Seria11\1'o. 848,776,

To all whom t may concern:

yBe it known that l, MARIE LENNARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Display-Cabinets, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification. r

My invention relates to improvements inl display cabinets, and has for its objectthe production of a cabinet in which any great number of articles of merchandise may be brought into view and in such a manner that both upper and under sides of articles may be displayed at the same time.

A further object is the production of a cabinet in which al maximum number of articles maybe placed in a small space and yet have all articles exhibited.

A further object is the production'of a cabinet in which articles may be displayed in such a manner as to render handling unnecessary. 'llhese and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are retained by the use of my device, an embodiment 0f which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents afront elevation of my improved cabinet; Fig. 2 represents a side elevation showing the arrangement of .the mirrors; Fig. 3 represents a side view of one of the containers or trays; Fig. 4 represents an end view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal inclined section of the conveying mechanism substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical vsection substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. l showing the manner in which the conveyf ing mechanism is mounted in the cabinet; Fig. 7 represents an enlarged detail of the conveying mechanism; and Fig. 8 represents an enlarged detail of the chain and tray suport. p Like references indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. l is shown a cabinet 9 capable of displaying,

at one time, the contents of three boxes or trays of merchandise such, as for instance, shirt waists 11, the boxes being indicated by the numeral 12. Thecabinet is provided with covering members 13 adapted to protect the conveying mechanism and prevent accident to any one using the cabinet and lhas an open space between such covering Amechanism through which the boxes or trays l2 are carried.

As shown in Fig. 1 the trays travel at an angle so that the contents may be readily examined without bending over the cabinet and, at the same time, the contents of the under-side of the boxes may bc seen through the medium of reecting mirrors. lin the back of the cabinet is placed a mirror 15 while a second mirror 16 is placed within the cabinet below the bottom of the tray and at such an angle to the tray andthe mirror 15 that the contents of the under-side of the tray are reected into the mirror 15 and. brought within the vision of the operator, as shown in Fig. 2.

A The boxes or trays 12 may be made of wood or metal, and arel shown with the top and bottom 'plates 17, 18 of glass and having end lugs or plates 19 and a top lugv or ear 20, the function of which will be explained later.

Referring now to. the box or tray moving mechanism as illustrated on Sheet 2, a motor 21 is suitably mounted within the cabinet and, on its operating shaft 22, are mounted` two sets of driving sprockets 23, 24 and 23a, 24a in the center of the lowerportion of the cabinet.

At each end of the cabinet are upper and lower shafts 25, 26 and 25a, 261 having mounted thereon sprockets 25", 26b over which pass pairs of elevating chains 27', 27a. The sprockets 23 23 also actuate the lower horizontal chains 28 which also passes over and actuates the sprockets 26h. Close to and below the shafts 25, 25n are shafts 29, 29a provided with sprockets. 30, 30a, and also ('eneva movement disks 31, 31a provided with a plurality of fingers 32, while mounted on the shafts V25, 25a is the other -half of the Geneva movement disk 33, 33a. A pair of chains 34C are actuated by the sprocket wheels 2da and passing over the sprockets 30, 30il and through the guide casting 35 at A the top of the cabinet. The chain 34 is provided with .a plurality of lugs 36, 36 so i Elevating chains 27 l to rest upon said plates, and be elevated from the lowermost to the top position the distance between the plates vbeing a. little more than the depth of the box or tray. The path traveled by the opposite ends of the boxes and the limits of their up and down movement are indicated in dotted lines at 37a in Fig. 2..

When the chain 34 is actuated by the -sprocket wheel 24 it, in turn, actuates the sprocket 30 and the half 31 of the Geneva movement, and when the inger 32 engages one of the teeth 38 ofthe other half of the Geneva movement it causes the elevating chain to pass through a distance equal to the distance between adjacent plates and thus elevates the boxes intermittently with the horizontal movement of the chains 28 and 34C.

It will be noted that during the actuation of the chains 28 the lugs 36 engage the end lugs 19 on the boxes movingthem horizontally. When the end boX, moving in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, reaches its extreme movement to the right it rests upon a pair of the plates 3'? on the elevating chains 27. The next movement is through the sprocket Wheel 24a, as heretofore described, and raises the elevating chain one step carrying the box or tray with it. When the box or tray has reached the top it is in position so that the lug 36engages the ear 20 on the top of the box sliding it within the guiding casting 35. ment of the chain carries the' box along bringing it into view as shown in Fig. 1. The boxes are supported on the chains 28 in substantially the same manner as they are supported on the 'chains 34,

lt is, of course, understood that the relation between the Geneva movement and the sprockets and lugs may be varied to suit any condition or any size of boxes, though, of course, after a device is arranged for a4 certain size it is understood lthat such size will be used in the cabinet.

Just below the display opening in the I cabinet I may, if I desire, placea reflector 39 with a plurality of electric lights, 40, 40, in order to better displaythe goods in places where the light is bad or for use as evening light. These lightsy may be of any color or different colors so `that the'goods may be v the View bf the shopper. There Amay be, of

lighted with any color desired by the exhibitor. l

I vhave shown this device with the boxes tilted in order to bring them better-within course, conditions in which the trays may be moved in a-horizontalplane and thus simplify materially the elevating mechanism, but the mechanism as illustrated and described may be made applicable for almost any desired movement ofthe trays.

I have not shown any method of wiring The nexty moveor switch connections as it is not thought th'at illustrations 'of this portion of the de- VICB are necessary.

Referring now to the general operation and advantages of my device, it will be seen that the motor may be run at any desired speed so that the boxes or trays may be caused to pass in front of the shopper at any desired speed, or can be stopped if desired to permit the shopper to carefully ex- 7 amine the goods in any particular tray, and that by the use of the mirrors both the top and bottom articles or the top and bottom ot' one article, if only one is in the tray, can be examined without handling and soil- 3 ing the goods. Any suitable starting and stopping mechanism for the motor can be used so that the clerk may regulate the movement of the trays. if desired, the regulation of the movement may also be within 8 the control of the shopper so that, in the event that the shopper is of mature age or experienced, he may be permitted to start or stop the motor and thus in a sense do away with the necessity of constant attend 9 ance of the clerk, leaving such clerk free to attend to other duties or other shoppers.

lt will be seen that the trays bearing the merchandise first appear from out of the cabinet at the right hand corner nearest the 9 spectator and travel in an oblique position in a straight line to the left hand corner where they disappear down into the cabinet and are carried, as heretofore described, on a horizontal chain in the bottom of the cabi 1 net across to the vertical chain on the opposite side and brought up and again into view and the operation repeated indefinitely.

By the use of this device several hundreds of articles may be packed within a small 1 space and yet all be readily accessible for in spection without the necessity of pulling out and opening numerous-boxes and with the incident vexation and confusion resulting from disorderly stock. The device further- 1 more limits the necessity for devoting so much time to the habitual and professional shopper as their demands may be met by the movable display cabinet without monopo, lizing the attention of the clerks from more profitable duties. The use of this device keepsthe stock fresh as each article within the trays bears a stock number, and `it will be unnecessary to disturb such articles as fresh `one can be readily obtained from the 1 stock room.

f I have shown this cabinet as comparatively small, displaying only three trays at one time. It is, of course, obvious that I may make it as long as I' desire and so constructedfthat any' desired number of trays may be visible at one time. It may also be desirable, in using the cabinet in the aisle of a store, to have two series of cabinets set! back to back.v f f While I have shown a specific type of mechanism by means of Which the purpose of my invention may be obtained, it is, of course, evident that other mechanisms may be adapted to perform the same function and the mechanism itself simplified Without in any Way departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cabinet having a display opening, a plurality of display boxes, means for bringing said boxes successively beneath said opening into and out of view, said boxes having transparent tops and bottoms, and means whereby the top and bottom of said boxes may be viewed simultaneously whereby the display capacity' of said device is increased.

2. In a device of the class described, the

may be seen reflected in said mirror wherebyv the capacity of said conveyer for displaying articles is increased.

for driving the horizontal conveyers, means for causing the vertical conveyers to travel a distancedilferent from the distance traveled by the horizontal conveyers in the same time, a plurality of receptacles constructed so that their contents are visible from opposite sides carried by said conveyers and supported so that said contents may be seen directly from one side, and a mirror supported in said cabinet in such position that the other side of said contents may be seen reflected in said mirror, whereby the capacity of said conveyer for displaying articles is increased.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of tWo Wit- C. E. Keim, ANNE SOLOMON. 

